It’s Monday. And it’s a really special day for me. One year ago, I married my favorite person. That’s right! Today is my first anniversary with my husband. I’m overjoyed! And while everyone says your first year of marriage is the hardest, there were many years prior that led us to this day. We had been dating for just over six years when we finally tied the knot. But we had to do something important before we ever thought about getting married: fall in love.
When I met my husband, I was not looking for love. Isn’t that the way it always happens?! I was 21 and working 40 hours a week while going to college full time and living in the fast paced world of NYC. I’d dated a little bit while living in the city, and I was sick of it. Frankly, I didn’t have time for love. But I remember the first time I ever saw Trent. We were both taking a summer acting class at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. I was on my cell phone outside the Playhouse and this dashing guy walked past me, looked me right in the eye, opened the door to the building, and disappeared inside. A voice inside me said “Hmm. I could marry that guy.” I swear it! Call me crazy but I really thought this to myself. After I mentally slapped myself and said “What the what are you thinking?! You don’t even know that guy. And you are not looking for a guy.” I went inside. Wouldn’t you know it, that guy was in my class. And little did I know that a few weeks later we’d have our first date at the Bronx Zoo, and six years later I would marry him at that very same Zoo.
Even though I clearly thought of marrying him upon first sight, love did not come quickly. As part of our wedding vows, I admitted to all of our friends and family that I knew I loved Trent because I tried so hard not to, and couldn’t help but fall in love anyway. I didn’t have time for a relationship, I didn’t need a man, I was too young to settle down… and I was afraid of falling in love. Like most wonderful things in life, love is terrifying and exciting. It requires a lot of risk, and requires you to put a lot of faith in someone else. There’s a reason it’s called “falling” in love. I felt like I was skydiving and had let someone else pack my parachute. But if I hadn’t finally let go of my fear, I would have missed out on the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And after I’d given in, it was then choosing to love him, over and over again, through all the good and the bad, that has kept us together.
On the night of our engagement party, my sister, who has a very different view of marriage and weddings than I do, asked us “Why get married? And why have a wedding? I mean, you two have been together for a long time. You know the other one isn’t going anywhere. So what’s the point?” I thought about it for a minute, and replied: “Getting married is another, really special way to say I love you. I don’t need a ring or a wedding to know that Trent loves me. I don’t need to legally be his wife for him to know that I’m devoted to him. But saying those words in front of our closest friends, and taking those vows, and even giving me this gorgeous ring is just another way for us to publicly declare, “I love this person”. I was surprised to see that she seemed, if not convinced, at least satisfied with our answer. And it made me smile – because it’s true.
Marriage quote ::source::
So today starts a very special series of posts. I’m soooo excited to share them with you! Today is day one of my Hurray for Weddings series. Every now and then I’ll be sharing posts on various aspects of weddings, including details and photos of my own. All of the original professional photos from my wedding, and our video, are from the fabulous Mallory Berry of MGB Photo. Some may have been edited or jazzed up by me (like the one above), but I give Mallory the credit where it’s due. She is fabulous! And if you’re interested in a great photographer, contact her and let her know Kim Caldwell sent you!
Here’s a sneak peek at our wedding day. The stop motion video is one of my favorite things from our wedding. It’s such a special way to remember our amazing day.
And here are a few shots of my man and I on our wedding day last year. So in love. Happy 1st anniversary, honey! And here’s to many, many more…
How did you fall in love? Did you fight it like I did? Did you dive in head first?
Do you need to let go of your fears and trust yourself over to love? Do you need to allow yourself to be loved? Do it. I can’t guarantee that you’ll end up with that person forever. But with great risks come great rewards.
I hope I’ve motivated you to believe in love at first sight. Our relationship isn’t perfect, but it’s wonderful. And we may not live in a fairytale, but we sure are lucky in love.
